News

Contamination closes six beaches

By Matthew K. Roy
Staff writer
Published: July 11, 2009

MARBLEHEAD — High bacteria levels closed four Marblehead beaches yesterday, including popular Devereux Beach.

Deprived of sun for much of the summer, eager beachgoers were welcomed by signs alerting them that the water was off-limits. The crowd at Devereux still soaked up the sunshine on towels or lounged underneath umbrellas.

But no one went in the water. It looked like a scene from "Jaws."

Contamination exceeded safe limits at the beach for the first time since June 2005. Grace Oliver's Beach, Gas House Beach, Stramski's Beach and an area at Crocker Park — all modest swimming spots compared to Devereux — also had to be shut down because of elevated bacteria counts. Kings and Fisherman's beaches in Swampscott were also closed.

Lime Rickey's, the takeout restaurant beside Devereux, did what it could to temper people's disappointment about the water.

"We have learned to make positive situations happen," manager Erica Petersiel said.

After learning of the closure, she and her dad, Paul, went to Walmart and bought more than a dozen small blue plastic pools to put on the sand in front of the restaurant. Yesterday, they substituted for the ocean and, judging by the enjoyment derived by splashing toddlers, the Atlantic was hardly missed.

The closure, however, did discourage some from spending the day at Devereux. Petersiel said she watched a few groups turn around and leave yesterday morning.

Health Director Wayne Attridge first tested the town's public swimming areas on Wednesday. The high bacteria counts in those samples generated the closures.

He collected additional water samples yesterday that were sent to a lab for testing. The results should be available by today, and if they come back clean, Devereux and the town's other beaches will reopen to swimmers.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has established 104 enterococci — intestinal bacteria — per 100 milliliters as the contamination limit. Any higher reading and a beach must be closed.

Devereux's sample had a reading of 2,280 per 100 milliliters, which is unusually high. The last time the beach was closed, in 2005, the reading was 110 per 100 milliliters. A 2004 sample had 460, according to the state Department of Public Health's Web site. The first sample of this month, by comparison, had 10.

Bacteria in the water typically spike after a storm. Rain washes over soil and pavement and gathers various contaminants, including animal droppings, on its way to the water. Attridge, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, has previously said that Devereux is not susceptible to contamination from surface water runoff.

Swimming in contaminated water puts people at risk of contracting a gastrointestinal illness or skin, ear and eye infections.

Zach Halpern of Swampscott took the situation in stride yesterday as he watched his 17-month-old twins play in one of the pools at Devereux.

"I'm just happy that there is sunshine after all the rain," he said. "My son doesn't seem to mind."